Missing
by petitestars
Summary: Set following my fics Bereft and Complete. Sam and Jack's perfect family life couldn't last forever.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Missing

Author: petite_stars

Rating: K +

Pairing: S/J

Summary: Set following Bereft and Complete. Sam and Jack's perfect family life couldn't last forever.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything!

Author's notes: I was rereading 'Complete' the other night and I got hit by a plot bunny that just wouldn't let go. I have decided to post this fic as I am writing it, some is written, but it is far from finished – so be warned! I do have every intention of completing it however feedback is a wonderful encouragement ;)

** I would recommend reading Bereft and Complete first although you can follow the story without doing so**

*

Shannon Riley yawned as she shut and locked her car door. After a long day working at the SGC, all she wanted to do was curl up in front of the television with a big bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine. Fumbling in the semi darkness of the evening, Shannon gathered her purse and the bag of groceries she had picked up on the way home and started up the short path to her front door, mentally going through the television guide as she walked.

Distracted as she was by her thoughts, she didn't notice the dark-clad figure who lurked behind her, partially hidden by the trees lining the path. Just as Shannon reached the door and began to hunt for her keys, a sharp, stinging pain in her shoulder caused her to drop everything in her hands. Turning her head to the source of the pain, Shannon caught sight of the dark, hulking figure, a needle held in one hand as it watched her, face hidden in the shadows.

Shannon opened her mouth to scream, but a sudden numbness overcame her before she was able to make a sound. Her legs folded beneath her and she slumped to the ground, her head limp and her body unresponsive. Shannon caught a glimpse of the silent, black-clad figure hovering over her inert body before darkness rushed in and unconsciousness took her.

*

"Emma O'Neill, how did you end up with jello between your toes?" Sam's voice was half puzzled, half amused as she slid the washcloth gently between the 1 year old's toes.

Emma giggled as she splashed in the bath, chubby fingers reaching out for the bright yellow duck that floated around her. Sam smiled at her baby and, after removing the blue stickiness from her skin, lifted a clean Emma out of the tub and onto a fluffy towel ready on the floor of the bathroom.

"Carter?" Jack's voice floated down the hallway, "You want pickles in your sandwich?"

"No," Sam wrinkled her nose at the thought of the offending pickles, "But put in extra mayo," she called back.

"Double pickles, no mayo. Got it," Jack's voice called back.

Sam picked up Emma, wrapped and warmly snugled in the towel, "Your father fancies himself a comedian," she murmured to the girl.

"Fancy?" Jack's amused voice startled Sam slightly and she turned to find the aformentioned man resting against the doorframe, "I fancy myself a comedian?"

Sam rolled her eyes, accepting Jack's assistance as she got to her feet, clean baby in hand, "How did Emma get jello everywhere?"

Jack schooled his face into the perfect picture of innocence, "I don't know."

Sam raised an eyebrow as she moved past him into Emma's nursery and laid the baby on the table. Emma, eager to wriggle around, tried to displace herself from where her mother's hand on her belly kept her positioned, "I left porridge and some fruit for breakfast before I went to the gym this morning."

"And it was a very nutritional breakfast," Jack handed Sam a diaper and kept Emma amused pulling faces as her mom diapered and dressed her.

"Jello is not a good breakfast," Sam admonished lightly.

"It's Saturday," Jack shrugged, "Em deserved a treat."

"So you gave her blue jello for breakfast?" Sam pulled a blue shirt over Emma's wriggling head.

"No," Jack shook his head, "After she ate the porridge I gave her the jello to play with."

Sam rolled her eyes, "Play with?"

"Jello is great fun isn't it Emma?" Jack bent close to Emma and whispered in her ear, "All squishy and cold."

The little girl giggled, now dressed, and Sam picked her up from the changing table, pressing a soft kiss to the baby-fine hair, "Next time you can clean up Emma after you play with the jello then."

Jack grinned, "Yes ma'am."

"I suppose I should be thankful you cleaned the kitchen," Sam said lightly, her eyes resting on her husband's amused brown ones.

"Well actually we had jello play time in the living room," Jack rocked back on his heels as he spoke.

Before Sam could open her mouth to reply, the sharp shrill sound of a cell phone broke into her thoughts. Emma, disliking the sound, screwed up her little face in readiness to cry at the horrid noise in her ears. Passing the grumbling baby to her father, Sam reached into her pocket and pulled out the offending phone.

"Carter," Sam still went by her maiden name at work, it didn't feel right to be called Colonel O'Neill, "Yes. When? Okay I'll be right in."

She hung up the phone with a quick snap, Jack watching her with cautious eyes, "So I guess the weekend off is no longer on?"

Sam gave him a quick smile, "Technical problem on base, shouldn't take more than a couple of hours and I'll be back in time for dinner."

Jack rolled his eyes, "A couple of hours to me means two. To you it could mean six."

Sam frowned at the almost bitter tone in his voice, "Jack I have to go, there's a problem with the gate."

"I know," Jack's eyes drifted down to where Emma was clasped in his arms, "It was just meant to be your weekend off."

Sam could read the words hidden beneath the casual tone of his voice. That she was spending more and more time at work. That she was rarely home for dinner, hadn't put Emma down to bed in a week and had barely slept more than a few hours next to her husband a night.

She hadn't meant to let it happen. After taking a few months off from the SGC following Emma's birth, Sam had returned to work in the labs only, overseeing the scientific department and becoming General Landry's 2IC. It was a job that stimulated and challenged Sam every day; even without the off-world missions, Sam never had a dull day. Yet, it was taking more and more of her time away from her family; the work/life compromise she had planned for was becoming more unbalanced every day.

Feeling the edge of irritation flood her veins, Sam pushed the emotion aside. She wanted to make everything work; she wanted to be there for Emma, for Jack, but the SGC and her job were so much a part of her and had been for almost two decades. Cutting back her work hours was the logical choice, giving up her position as 2IC seemed the natural progression, but the scientist and soldier in Sam balked at the very thought.

Work was the sore spot in her otherwise perfect relationship with Jack; even now, she could read the hurt in his eyes and the hint of anger that flashed bitterly when his eyes rested on the cell phone resting in her hand. Sam felt the beginnings of a fight stir between them but she deflected the urge to provoke. She had to go to work.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Sam pressed a kiss to Emma's cheek and left the room to grab her belongings. Jack said nothing, merely walking with the baby into the kitchen as Sam changed into her blue uniform.

Suppressing a sigh at his silence, Sam laced up her boots and grabbed her bag. Pausing in the hallway before the kitchen, Sam allowed herself a moment to listen to Jack as he cooed softly to Emma. The warmth of his words caused an ache in her belly and she wanted nothing more than to drop her bag and join her family.

"Bye," Sam called softly, choosing instead to head briskly for the front door.

"Hey," Jack's voice stopped her just as she turned the handle. Turning, she found herself enveloped briefly in Jack's arms, "Take this with you, you gotta eat."

Sam accepted the wrapped sandwich from Jack with a smile, pressed a kiss to his lips, whispered her thanks, and left.

*


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks very much to those who have reviewed so far :)

*

Sam frowned as she observed the uneven edge of the iris, "And whatever came through the gate was hard enough to cause a sizeable dent in the surface?"

"Yes ma'am," Siler stood close to her, his own eyes running a critical gaze over the metal, "PJ2 565 has a sizeable naquada deposit on the planet. When SG2 came through the gate, they were under heavy fire, a combination of the fire power and the natural land?"

Sam shrugged, "I guess it doesn't matter what did it, it needs to be fixed or the iris won't close smoothly. How many teams off-world?"

"Three ma'am," Siler stated, "None are due back till after 1800 hours."

"Contact engineering and get Shannon down here. See if she can fix the surface with the iris still attached or if it needs to be removed and replaced. I'll go tell the general we could be out of commission for a while."

"Yes ma'am," Siler nodded and took off.

Sam left the gateroom and climbed the metal steps to where General Landry's office was. She knocked on the solid door, entering when commanded.

"Any updates on the iris, colonel?" General Landry rested back in his chair as Sam stood in front of his desk, he waved her at ease, "Take a seat."

"Thank you sir," Sam sat and folded her hands in her lap, "The iris sustained a sizable hit when SG2 returned from their mission, at this stage I'm hoping that Engineering will be able to fix the irregularity without needing to remove the iris."

"And if they can't?"

"The iris will need to be removed and replaced," Sam winced, "It would likely be a week before the SGC would be back at normal operations."

General Landry pinched the bridge of his nose and a heavy sigh escaped his lips, "I suppose we won't know until engineering assess it."

"Yes sir, Siler should be contacting -"

"Sirs," Siler interrupted with a sharp knock.

The two officers turned to face him, "Yes Sergeant?" Landry asked in his usual gruff manner.

"I just got word from engineering that they are sending Dr Sanders down to assess the iris,"

Sam frowned, "Shannon Riley is the enginerring specialist for the iris."

"Ah yes ma'am," Siler shifted on his feet, "Colonel Anders, Riley's C.O., just got word a moment ago, Doctor Riley was found deceased this morning in her home by the police."

*

Jack didn't glance up from his book as Sam entered the bedroom just short of midnight. A couple of hours had turned into the rest of the day, and as usual, Sam was returning burnt-out and tired.

"Sorry I'm late," Sam began to strip off her clothes, her voice muffled by her shirt as she pulled it over her head.

Jack said nothing, instead, he turned the page of the book in his hand and continued feigning to read. He felt Sam's eyes rest on his silent figure before she sighed softly and disappeared into the bathroom. Minutes later she returned, sliding beneath the cool sheets. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack watched as she looked blankly out the window into the darkness. Stress lined her face and dark shadows smudged the normally clear skin beneath her eyes. The usual strain of the job, Jack thought, but something else seemed to catch his attention; something in her posture didn't seem right.

"Shannon Riley was found dead this morning." Sam's voice was flat as she spoke.

"Doc Riley?" Jack remembered a short woman with dark brown hair and friendly green eyes, "From engineering."

"Yeah," Sam rolled onto her side, away from Jack, "Police suspect her ex husband, she had a restraining order on him."

Jack dropped his book to the bedside table and extinguished the lamp. Sliding down to rest on his side, Jack traced the tense outline of his wife in the moonlight.

"She was a neat lady," Jack said softly. His hand slid over the tight muscles of Sam's back, he rested his arm over her belly and pulled her close into the hollow of body, "I'm sorry Sam, I know she was a friend."

Sam tensed at the closeness for a moment, but it passed and she melted into the warmth of Jack's arms. Letting him sooth her gently, his hand rubbing circles on her stomach.

"We face so much danger going through the gate," Sam whispered tiredly, "You forget about the dangers on earth sometimes."

Jack pulled Sam closer and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, he stayed awake until long after Sam's breath had evened out into sleep.

*

"You told me to call," Stanley sat in the brightly lit 24-hour cafe and sipped at his coffee as he spoke on the phone to his boss.

"Was the information received?" the voice of a man, rendered slightly nasal through the tinniness of the phone line, returned the question.

"It was," Stanley smiled to himself. He was very good at his job, "All the information you require has been uploaded to the server as you requested."

"Excellent, the second payment has been authorised to your account," the man on the other end paused, "Remain close, I will call you soon."

Stanley hung up the phone and dropped it to the table. Motioning for the waitress, he asked for her to bring him a full house burger with all the sides, followed by an even larger serving of chocolate cake.

"Of course," the waitress flashed him a smile, "Treating yourself?"

Stanley smiled, "Building my strength, busy days ahead."

*


End file.
